


La Nostra Vita

by WillEvince



Category: metamoro - Fandom
Genre: First Date, Fluff, For the most part, M/M, Romance, also kids, which is so unusual for me lol
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-15
Updated: 2018-12-15
Packaged: 2019-09-19 17:58:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 7,093
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17006436
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WillEvince/pseuds/WillEvince
Summary: Ermal meeting Fabrizio’s kids for the first time.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is also an old work I previously had posted on Tumblr. I'll now be moving it to this site.

It had been one of _those_ mornings. Ermal had honestly started to think that he had gotten out of bed on the wrong foot: the moment his alarm clock rang, he managed to accidentally shove the phone off the table, causing it to land on the hard floor and crack the screen; minutes later Ermal mixed up salt with sugar and made himself the most horrible cup of tea; and the moment he went outside... he immediately stepped into a puddle.  
  
Groaning, silently cursing, he walked through the city to the only place he knew he'd be welcome. It was only eight in the morning but Ermal was hoping that Fabrizio would be able to hear him knocking against the door. On his way there, Meta thought to himself that it's probably not very polite to come over uninvited and not bearing any gifts, which is why he stopped at a flower shop. Ermal bought a single red rose and while he was admiring it and waiting for change, the woman that worked as a vendor casually exclaimed:  
"Your girlfriend's going to love it!". Ermal just started giggling and blushing. "Something like that" he finally answered taking the coins from the woman and silently walking away. Ermal, though, had never seen himself as a romantic. He's more like the one that constantly makes fun of you and calls you and idiot, yet deep down loves you more than life itself.  
  
It's a twenty minute walk from Ermal's appartment to Fabrizio's, and due to that little stop at the flower shop, Meta reached the door in exactly twenty seven minutes. He spent a surprisingly large amount of time just staring at the buzzer, not having the courage to actually press it, but after a while Ermal's hand shot up and his finger landed firmly on the button. An annoying screech flew through the apartment, alarming everyone, who was inside, that they now have guests. It took three minutes for someone to finally open the door.  
"For God's sake, Ermal, it's the middle of the night!" Fabrizio whispered as soon as he saw Meta. Ermal just laughed. He obviously just woke Fabrizio up: his hair was undone (although one could argue that it's never actually done), he was sleepy, still very unoriented, and still wearing his pajamas. Fabrizio rested against the door frame and looked up at Ermal, clearly silently asking, why he's here.  
  
"Your pants don't even match your shirt" instead of a proper 'Hello', Ermal said, causing Fabrizio to groan and roll his eyes:  
"Oh my god, Ermal, literally, _no one_ sees me like this" he ranted and stepped out of the way, since Ermal had already started to march inside without waiting for a proper welcome.  
"By the way, this is for you" Meta smiled, handing Fabri the flower. And for the first time that morning, Moro actually smiled and quietly took it. Ermal noticed how he had started to blush.  
"You have got to stop killing plants for me" he jokingly said, finally closing the door and stepping closer to Ermal.  
"This one was already dead when I found it" he whispered "The police think it was a suicide" finally Ermal cracked a joke and laughed. Fabrizio just facepalmed and stepped away to find a vase for the rose.  
  
"Who are you?" a light, soft voice flew across the room, catching Ermal's attention. It, of course, was Anita, Fabrizio's daughter. Meta had never met his kids before and for some God forsaken reason he completely forgot that they actually exist - maybe otherwise he wouldn't have been so brave walking into this apartment. The little girl, though, looked astonished: her mouth was open, eyes wide, she couldn't turn away, and Ermal soon realised she was staring at his hair. He quietly giggled and got down in front of her as if offering to come closer and touch the curls. Anita did exactly that - she extended her arm, stepped forward and gently grabbed a lock of Ermal's hair... and then she started pulling.  
"Hey, hey, hey! That was not part of the deal!" he said, trying to hold back laughter and force Anita to let go of his curls.  
"Anita!" Fabrizio exclaimed the moment he walked in. His daughter finally stepped back and started giggling. After a second Libero also entered the room - probably had just woken up thanks to all this commotion.  
  
"I see you've met my kids" Moro calmly said, staring at his children, as proud as ever. Ermal followed his glance and did a dramatic pause.  
"They look nothing like you. Are you sure they're yours?" finally he dropped, starting to laugh. Fabrizio rolled his eyes once more and walked over to Ermal. He stopped surprisingly close, just centimetres away from Meta's face, he could feel Fabrizio's breath softly landing on his lips.  
"One more joke like that and I'll..." he tried to sound serious but seconds later a bright smile shined through, making his threat a lot less scary.  
"Yeah? And you'll what?" Ermal laughed, not able to move his glance away from Fabrizio's dark eyes. Moro just smirked. You could clearly see what he was thinking, but since his kids were still right beside them, Fabrizio held back. He stepped away and looked at his children.  
"You know, with the hair pulling?" finally Ermal said, staring at Anita. "Looks like it's genetic" he giggled and turned to Fabrizio. He, once again, started to blush and seconds later he facepalmed once more, as Ermal's childish laughter filled the living room.


	2. Chapter 2

Neither Anita nor Libero understood what Ermal was talking about or laughing for, but they too started giggling. Probably just wanted to be part of an adult conversation. Fabrizio soon noticed that and finally glanced at his children.  
"Alright, you two. Go back to bed. It's still very early" finally he muttered, gently gesturing with his hands, as if pointing to the direction of the kids' room. At first they didn't seem to want to listen since their new unexpected guest was far too interesting to let go without a proper greeting, but because Fabri was so insistent, they finally surrendered and ran off. For a couple of seconds Ermal still blankly stared at the spot where the children had just stood, but all it took was a blink for his thoughts to wander off.  
  
"So why exactly did you come here?" Fabrizio asked slowly starting to yawn. Even though Ermal didn't feel sleepy, he still mimicked this Moro's gesture - it was purely sympathetic. "Or was it just to give me that flower? Ermal, I'm starting to run out of vases" he gently smiled, once again, walking over, stopping a little too close. Meta looked straight into his eyes and smirked:  
"And is that not enough? Maybe I just wanted to see you?" he slowly lifted up his arm and softly ran his fingertips across Fabrizio's cheekbone. He could feel Moro shiver under his touch, which only made Ermal smile even brighter.  
"We have..." Fabrizio cleared his throat, feeling suddenly uneasy "We have an interview at midday, we would have seen each other anyway..." he tried to point out, but as Ermal's gaze did not leave Fabri's eyes even for a second, soon Moro's words faded. His lips were still stuttering as if he was trying to speak, to finish the sentence, yet not a single sound came out. It was about time Fabrizio admitted to himself that standing this close to Ermal was clearly affecting him more than he thought.  
  
"It was interesting, though, meeting your kids" finally Ermal said, completely changing the subject and taking a step back. His lips one more bore a playful smile, proclaiming that, despite the terrible morning he had had, Ermal was still in a darn good mood. "They seem very sweet actually. Who knew you were able to produce such cute babies?" he added after a while, immediately bursting into laughter as he saw Fabrizio's cheeks blush.  
"Well, eeerm... Thanks, I guess. They are amazing, truly" after a while Fabri just scratched his forehead and finally murmured a few words. He, again, tried to step closer, but Ermal casually took a step back, smiling even wider, knowing that this will annoy the crap out of Moro.  
"I think I should get going..." finally Ermal whispered, glancing at the door.  
"So you came here for no reason, _woke me up_ , and you just leave?" Fabrizio followed him through the living room, honestly not even understanding what's going on anymore. He had just woken up - he didn't realize Ermal was just toying with him. He didn't actually want to leave. He wanted to be stopped, and, lucky for him, Moro got the courage to do just that.  
  
Ermal's hand reached out for the door handle and just as he started opening the door, Fabrizio ran to him and slammed it shut, immediately pushing Ermal against a wall and leaning in close. ' _Ok, so now I know what you're doing_ ' - Fabrizio's eyes clearly shouted even though not a single word escaped his lips. He noticed Meta smirking again and once again he thought to himself: ' _This man will be the death of me_ '. "You really shouldn't have come" he whispered stepping even closer, Moro's palms were against the wall on both sides of Ermal's head, his chest was almost touching Meta's, he could almost feel his breathing, his heart rapidly beating. Fabrizio let out a soft sigh and looked straight into Ermal's eyes the moment he had thought up of an another insult.  
"Yeah, I really shouldn't have. I should have waited until you brushed your teeth" he murmured, already starting to giggle. For a moment there Fabrizio just looked pissed.  
"Oh, shut up" Moro said and swiftly twisted his fingers into Ermal's curls. He pulled his face towards himself and leaned down to plant a fairly aggressive kiss on Meta's lips. You'd think Ermal would try to pull away, but no - he clinged onto him even tighter. Ermal's hands quickly found their way under Fabrizio's shirt, his cold fingertips running down Moro's spine, counting each vertebrea as if he hadn't done that before. Fabri pulled away for a second to catch his breath, and when he came back for another round, he seemed surprisingly softer. Suddenly Ermal didn't feel teeth playfully scratching his lower lip, he didn't feel Moro's tight grip anymore. For a moment it was just pure softness... Which was followed by Fabri immensely clasping Ermal's curls once more. This time he pulled on them, jerking Meta's head to the side. A slight moan unexpectedly escaped Ermal's lips, but as Moro leaned in to place even more kisses on his neck, Meta tried to stay quiet.  
  
Until finally their moment was broken by a giggle, coming from one of the bedrooms. Of course, it was one of the kids, still out of their beds. Fabrizio groaned and went to look after them, while Ermal couldn't even find the will to rip himself off the wall - he felt really lightheaded after _that_ kind of kiss. And even though it wasn't the first, it still had the same damn effect.  
"Ok, they shouldn't cause anymore problems for now" after a while Fabrizio said, leaving the kids' room, gently closing the door behind him. Ermal, of course, wondered if they would resume what had started to happen in the hallway, but after a bit of silence, Fabrizio just said:  
"I think I'll go take a shower" he nodded his head as if granting permission for himself and quickly scattered through the corridor to the bathroom. Just as he was walking through the door, he took one last glance at Ermal, smiled and added: "Care to join me?".


	3. Chapter 3

After hearing what Fabrizio had just said, Ermal blankly stared back at him in disbelief. For a moment there, he could not utter a single word. All Ermal could think about was what _exactly_ Moro could have been offering. And the longer he thought about it, the more obvious that little flicker of desire in his eyes became. Ermal's smile widened, his cheeks flushed with an adorable shade of scarlet, and finally he muttered:  
"But won't the kids hear us?" - he looked at Fabrizio, and to his surprise, Moro just smiled, clearly holding back laughter.  
"Well, geez, now I know what _you're_ thinking - I just wanted to show you my soap collection" - Fabrizio swiftly answered, taking the opportunity, for once, to make Ermal feel uneasy instead of the other way around. This time it was Meta's hand which rose and gently hid his face, and Fabrizio's soft, throaty laugther filled the room.  
"But you don't really have a soap collection, do you?" - after a few moments, once Ermal's cheecks turned back to their usual color, he asked but he didn't hear an answer. Instead Fabrizio just threw a smile over his shoulder, winked and entered the bathroom, leaving the door wide open.  
  
For a moment there Ermal could have sworn that he started to hear his own heartbeat, pounding somewhere in the back of the head, as if he had just ran a marathon and quickly froze instead of gradually coming to a stop. And even if so, he couldn't force himself to take a step further. Both in metaphorical and literal sense. This quiet invitation got him all twisted, and, for the love of God, Ermal could not stop thinking that this was exactly what Fabrizio wanted.  
But in the end, Meta couldn't make that move. He did come closer to the bathroom door. But only to close it. Even though before he did so, Ermal glanced inside to see the steam-filled room. He couldn't hear anything over the sound of water clunking onto the shower tiles, but Ermal could see Fabrizio silhouette through the tilted glass. He allowed himself to stare for half a second, but before it had time to turn into something more, Ermal slammed the door shut and went back to the living room.  
  
While Fabrizio was showering, Ermal sat down on the couch and grabbed one of the magazines rolling around on the table. It looked like it belonged to a child, most likely Libero, since it was filled with half-done simple puzzles and half-colored little pirate pictures. Ermal quickly flipped through it, gently smiling, inadvertently starting to reminisce about his own childhood - the good parts at least - for he was also one of those kids who really loved to read rather than take up any kind of sports.  
  
"I'm quite disappointed, I must say" - Fabrizio unexpectedly shattered the silence, casually walking back into the room while wearing nothing but a loosely wrapped towel around his waist. The moment Ermal saw him, all of his thoughts scattered. "But here's what I was thinking... Since we have time until the interview, how would you like to go out? And I mean _all of us_. Maybe for some ice cream? The kids would love that. And I'd love for you to get to know them better" - he murmured, leaning over the side of the couch closer and closer to Ermal.  
"That... sounds... great?" - Meta quietly answered, barely able to take his glance away from Fabrizio's muscles. And yet the moment Ermal agreed, both of the kids ran out of their rooms happily screeching. "Seems like they never actually went to sleep. Some nanny you are..." He teased looking back at Fabrizio, who couldn't come up with a witty answer just yet.  
  
"Nanny, huh?" he finally whispered, quickly rummaging around the room, collecting things along the way. Fabrizio then dropped all of those pieces of clothing onto Ermal's arms and smiled "Well, then, you can dress Anita, while I go get ready." he glanced at his daughter, who was sitting quietly on the floor "You don't mind, dear, do you?" the little girl shook her head, so Moro gave Ermal one last little wink and left the room. Meta wasn't quite sure what he had just roped himself into so he was staring back at the children in a certain state of shock.  
  
"I don't like that blue shirt" Anita exclaimed pointing ant one of the fabrics on Ermal's lap. "Ooo, I wanna dress up like a bunny!" the child screamed whilst leaping onto the couch. Libero murmured a couple of choice words and also left the room, probably to get ready on his own - he was certainly old enough to do that. So now it was just Ermal and Anita trying to get at least one thing done.  
"Ok, honey, you can't go out wearing those plastic bunny ears..." Ermal tried to reason with her but after each attempt, Anita just got more mad.  
"But I want to look like a bunny!" she shouted.  
"Ok, ok!" Ermal gave up, and quickly stood up. He tossed all of the clothes back on the couch and started digging through them. The moment he spotted the bunny ears, Ermal pushed them behing the pillow, making sure Anita wouldn't notice. "Oh, no, I can't find them..." he casually mentioned, trying to look heartbroken. As soon as the bunny costume was out of the question, Anita moved onto her next idea:  
"Then I want to put this on!" she randomly pulled a shirt out of the pile.  
"But... sweetie, that's not even yours... I'm pretty sure it's your daddy's. It won't fit you" once again, Ermal tried to talk her out of it and instead offered a cute green dress, but Anita wasn't interested. After a couple of minutes of bargaining she finally said:  
"Fine. I'll wear that, if you put this on" Anita shoved Fabrizio's shirt in Ermal's face and smiled. She, much like her father, probably thrived on this sort of thing - annoying anyone and everyone while looking super cute doing so. Finally, Ermal gave up. He agreed to change the shirt he was wearing and therefore Anita at last allowed him to dress her up. It took Meta about five seconds to switch clothes, but when it came to dressing a child, he realised that it's much harder than it looks.  
"No... No! Your arm goes here!" he tried to direct, while laughing uncontrollably. Anita, who also couldn't stop giggling, tried her best to get into the dress. And yet only after a while one of them (not Ermal) noticed that the zipper wasn't even undone. Then finally, after a long few minutes, Anita stepped off the couch ant looked down at her dress.  
"Are you sure this is right?" she asked while jiggling the zipper, that was supposed to be on her back. Ermal had put on the dress backwards.  
"Dammit" he whimpered and sighed.  
  
"I see, it's going well" Fabrizio teased the second he saw what had happened. "Oh, Anita..." he giggled, seeing his mis-dressed daughter. "And, umm... I guess there's a story behind you wearing one of my shirts?" Moro noticed and came closer. He tugged at a couple of buttons, setting them loose, exposing Ermal's bare chest.  
"There is" Meta smiled "But after what I've just been through, you're gonna have to take me to dinner if you want to hear it" he joyfully added and stepped closer to place a gentle kiss on Fabrizio's lips.  
"Great, so what are you doing tonight?" Moro asked and glanced straight into Ermal's eyes.


	4. Chapter 4

And just like that they had set up their first official date. Up until this point Ermal and Fabrizio's relationship had been really questionable. Not in the sense of realness but rather in the sense of existence. They first met each other a year ago and quickly became friends. It was the events of Sanremo that finally drove them closer together. What should have been a simple collaboration and a sweet duet, grew into a friendship that definitely raised eyebrows. But it didn't stop there. After their victory, the moment they hid from all of the cameras and the fans, they couldn't restrain themselves from leaping into each other's arms. Ever since then things had been difficult. For both of them understood that they had started to develop romantic feelings, but neither one dared to admit it. It seemed a lot easier to just remain _not serious_. So this was the first step out of that comfort zone. A date? Dinner together? It was Ermal's way of saying that he wanted more - he wanted a relationship, and a serious one, an honest one. Maybe one that _could_ end in marriage...  
  
First things first, Fabrizio had to fix Anita's outfit. The moment they were finished, Libero also came out of his room, smiling and ready to go. Everything was done, all that was left was to walk out the door. And Ermal didn't quite fancy doing that whilst wearing someone else's clothes but he didn't want to take up more time, as the kids seemed impatient enough as it was. Fabrizio noticed that Ermal was feeling uneasy and guessed that he was having second thoughts. Hoping that that would change his mind, Fabri walked up to Meta and whispered:  
"For what it's worth, you look _a lot_ hotter in that" Ermal quickly lifted his head and cought Fabri's gaze. For a few seconds he couldn't decide whether to answer with a snarky comment or a genuine 'thank you'. In the end, the 'snarky comment' won:  
"Yeah, well, coming from a man, that dresses like a fisherman, I'm not sure if it means much" finally he laughed, and Fabrizio just shook his head:  
" _This_ is what I get for being nice. Amazing" he smiled quickly following his children outside.  
  
Just as they had planned, they went to a cafe to get some ice cream. While the kids were picking their flavors, Ermal was trying to decide what kind of coffee he wanted instead, since he ruined his this morning by accidentally adding salt. Finally, he bought a cup of sour, black coffee and carried it to the table that the kids had chosen. Soon after Fabrizio sat down with his ice cream, they all dug in. There wasn't much time for talking, so Ermal leaned back in his chair and glanced through the window. As he was sipping his coffee, he noticed their reflection in the glass: if you didn't know any better, you could say they are the cutest family that had walked into this place. The corner of Ermal's lips gently curled upwards - he would have been lying if he had said that this wasn't what he had always wanted...  
  
A couple of hours later they went back home and left the kids with the nanny. While they were safe and sound at home, Fabri and Ermal had to go back into the city for an interview. Like always, Ermal did most of the talking, Fabrizio would sometimes quietly add some facts; and yet the moment they stepped off the stage, someone _finally_ reminded Ermal that he was _still_ wearing Fabrizio's shirt.  
"Oh, well, great... Surely that's gonna raise some questions" Ermal sighed, glancing across the room, finding Fabrizio in the crowd. The moment he saw Meta looking around, he came closer.  
"I think it went great!" he pointed two thumbs up and smiled.  
" _I_ think we're gonna find A LOT more _art_ on Instagram after this" said Ermal and giggled remembering the previous fans' artwork. To be fair, they weren't _that_ far off...  
  
It took a while for Fabrizio to realise what Ermal was talking about, but once he did, they quickly drove back to Meta's home, so that he could change. And since he was getting ready for a date either way, Ermal spared no expense: he pulled out his most gorgeous China blue suit and put it on. When he came back to the car, Fabrizio was taken aback.  
"Wow, you look..." he quietly whimpered.  
"Again. Fisherman..?" Ermal sarcastically exclaimed, causing Fabrizio to grunt in irritation.  
"Ok, one of these days I _am_ going to strangle you" Moro smiled and instead of doing so he leaned in for a kiss. After a few seconds they both remembered that this car had a driver. Who was, of course, staring at them in disbelief.  
"So it's _true_?!" the driver yelled, smiling from ear to ear "Oh, this is the best day of my life! I have been shipping you since Sanremo, this is amazing!" he added and just giggled happily all the way back to Fabrizio's house. Moro went inside to change clothes, but when he came back to the car, Ermal still sent him back upstairs to put on something nicer. The third time was the charm: the suit Fabrizio had picked out really was to Ermal's liking; and so they continued their trip to the restaurant. Since this whole thing was last minute, it wasn't the best of restaurants but not the worst. Either way, they thanked their driver for the ride, went inside and asked for a table somewhere out of sight. And so their first date began...


	5. Chapter 5

This was absolutely unexpected and definitely caught Ermal off guard. This morning, while he was ruining his coffee, he wouldn't have even dreamed that he'd end up on a date with Fabrizio on the same night. It just seemed unreal. But Meta was also visibly nervous as he didn't know how all off this would turn out. What if people see them? What will they think? Where will this lead? Will this change things between them? Does Ermal expect too much?  
  
He sat down and silently looked around, looking for an exit in case something terrible happens and he'll have to leave quickly. Fabrizio noticed that and moved his chair a little bit closer, leaning in, touching Ermal's cheek with his lips, quietly whispering in his ear:  
"Is everything alright? You look frightened" Moro glanced into Ermal's eyes and smiled gently. That seemed to calm Meta at least a little bit.  
"Because I actually _am_. I know, it's weird" Ermal answered and blushed. Then Fabrizio noticed the waiter coming over, so he quickly pushed Ermal away, scooched his chair back to its original place and leaned back as far as he possibly could. The waiter greeted them politely, said what the specials are today, left a couple of menus and walked away, giving them time to choose. Fabrizio immediately started reading the names of all the different dishes, while Ermal, still a little bit shaken, was staring at Moro in disbelief. 'That gesture seemed so cold' he thought to himself 'I wouldn't have expected that from him'. After a couple of seconds Ermal decided to just brush it off. He was probably overthinking anyway.  
  
Fabrizio picked out a steak and a bottle of fine wine, whilst Ermal chose steamed salmon. He suddenly got a craving for fish, so he thought this would be the best choice - it also seemed healthy so that was another pro.  
"So how does this happen?" Fabrizio smiled, the moment the waiter walked away with their orders. "What do people talk about on these things? It's been so long since I've dated" he admitted and giggled. Ermal looked up and cought his glance:  
"That's because we're definitely too old for this and, more importantly, we already know each other pretty well. Unless you want to tell me a dirty secret, there's not many 'first date' topics left" he smiled already reaching for the wine bottle which the waiter had left on the table, and pouring himself a glass. Fabrizio also pushed his glass a little closer, as if silently asking Ermal to fill it up as well.  
  
Despite all of Ermal's fears, it was actually going well. After a bit of uncomfortable silence, they dived back into talking about random things. All it took was forgetting that this was a _date_. Once that was out of the way, the pressure was off. They were talking and laughing, and Ermal was making fun of Fabrizio - exactly like always. Like good friends catching up after a long time. But that wasn't enough for Ermal, so he started thinking about dropping subtle hints.  
"Is it just me or is it _really_ cold in here?" he casually said, glancing at Fabrizio's jacket. It looked a lot warmer than what Ermal was wearing. Moro followed his stare, realized what Meta was talking about and smiled.  
"I'm sure if we ask, they'll turn the heating up..." finally Fabrizio murmured and waved to the waiter, calling him back to their table. At this point Ermal's jaw was everything but on the floor. But even then he decided to ignore what had happened. He was probably _still_ overthinking everything.  
  
When the food came, they stopped talking for a moment. They tasted their dishes, sent compliments to the chef, and only exchanged pleasantries between bites. Again, this was starting to look like a meal between coworkers, and Ermal wasn't satisfied with that. He decided to take a risk once more.  
"The salmon here is great. Here, have a bite" he smiled quickly spearing a piece of fish with his fork and pointing it towards Fabrizio's mouth. Moro stared at that bite for what seemed like a hundred years. In the end he just blushed and shook his head:  
"No thanks, I don't like fish" Fabri added and immediately went back to eating his steak. That was Ermal's breaking point. Normally, he's never quiet, but after that, he didn't say a single word for the rest of the evening. And what saddened him even more, was the fact that Fabrizio didn't pick up on that - he continued talking as if nothing had happened. As if this weren't a date. As if this were just dinner between two friends. At that point it became clear to Ermal that _this_ was all Fabrizio was aiming for.  
  
Ermal managed to stay until the end of the so called date. Even though he was visibly sad and in a bad mood, he still tried to stay positive. Up until the last moment when the waiter brought the check. Ermal paid for the meal, even though Fabrizio tried to stop him - of course, he wanted to at least pay for his half.  
"No, I got it" Ermal quietly added. His voice had become a little bit husky after not speaking for a while. Meta got up from his seat, looked around for the last time and without saying another word, headed straight to the door.  
"Ermal. Wait for me!" he could hear Fabrizio's voice, pushing through the restaurant's crowd, yet Ermal didn't look back. "Hey, stop!" Moro caught up with him on the street, grabbed his arm and forced Meta to look at him. "Why are you rushing off? Did something happen?" he asked, obviously not understanding what the problem was.  
"It's... my own fault. I guess I... got my hopes up too high" Ermal whispered "Please, let go of my arm" he added in a much more powerful tone, which sent shivers down Fabrizio's spine. He took a step back but still smirked.  
"Will I be seeing you tomorrow?" Fabrizio leaned in to plant a gentle kiss on Ermal's cheek, but he pulled away.  
"I don't think so..." Finally Ermal said and walked away, leaving a baffled Fabrizio on the side of the road. It seemed the longer the way home was, the heavier the weight in Ermal's chest got. Not until he reached the door of his aparment, did he realize that it was the breathtaking pain of his heart breaking...  
  
  
The very next morning he heard a knock on the door. It was Fabrizio. Despite Ermal's last words, he still came around. Meta looked through the peephole and quietly sighed as he noticed that Fabri didn't come empty handed - he was carrying a huge bouquet of red roses...


	6. Chapter 6

The very next morning he heard a knock on the door. It was Fabrizio. Despite Ermal's last words, he still came around. Meta looked through the peephole and quietly sighed as he noticed that Fabri didn't come empty handed - he was carrying a huge bouquet of red roses. To be honest, Ermal didn't have even the slightest urge to open the door and meet him. That's why he quietly started backing away from the door, trying to pretend that no one's home.  
  
"Come on, I can hear you" suddenly Fabrizio exclaimed, pounding loudly on the door. A shiver raced down Ermal's spine, but he still couldn't find the will to look Fabri in the eye. "I just want to... apologise" he added, while waiting for Ermal's reaction. Meta was silently staring at the door knob, contemplating whether or not he should go over and turn it. "Please? I... I want to make things right" after a couple of minutes Fabrizio muttered. By that time Ermal had already stepped back all the way to the other side of the room. His shoulders were already against the wall, but Meta's eyes were still fixed on the doorknob. Some part of him still wanted to turn it, to let Fabrizio in, to hear what he has to say, but the other part... wanted to avoid all the pain that would come with it.  
  
Finally Ermal took a step forward. Then another one, then another, until he was back by the door again. This time his hand reached out, clasped the knob and slowly turned it. He heard the lock crakling and soon after the door started opening. Ermal looked through the smallest gap he could possibly look through and cought Fabrizio's glance. He, for the love of god, had been the absolute epitome of sadness. Even from this distance, Meta could see the tears in his eyes, which Fabri had been trying so hard to hold back.  
"I'm sorry if I hurt you. I really didn't mean it to go like that" Fabrizio slowly started, and Ermal reacted abruptly - he swang the door open, took a step towards him and clenched his teeth:  
" _How_ the hell did you mean it to go? Because it goddamn wasn't anything that I had in mind!" finally he exploded. Fabrizio wasn't expecting this kind of reaction, so he took a step back to ensure safe distance. Just in case.  
"Well... I... I just..." Fabri started muttering. He suddenly forgot the entire speech he had prepared for this occasion.  
"Well, you _nothing_. If you didn't want to be seen with me in public _like that_ , you could've just said so. I would've understood. At least I wouldn't have made a fool of myself trying to flirt!" Ermal threw his hands up, barely containing himself.  
"I'm sorry. I really am. I just got... cought up in thinking what _others_ might think. I'm not as outgoing as you, I don't... handle mean comments that well" Fabri whispered.  
"That still doesn't justify your behaviour" Ermal pressed his lips together. "You completely blew me off!" he took a dramatic pause "And not in the _good_ way", he added finally showing a little smile. "Not the time or the place. Right. I know" Ermal quickly said, catching Fabrizio's glance. He seemed to have been blushing.  
  
"Can we... start from the beginning?" Ermal asked the moment he cought his breath. Fabrizio finally gave the flowers to Ermal and, after a moment of hesitation, Meta took the bouquet.  
"I don't want to start from the beginning. I want to continue from where we left off" Fabri smiled, cautiously stepping closer, almost pushing himself through the door.  
"And where exactly was that?" Ermal asked but didn't linger for an answer. He left the door open and went inside to find a vase. He didn't have one. So he put the flowers in the cooking pot and left it on the counter, promising himself that he'll go out and buy a vase.  
"There was something I was trying to tell you during the dinner but didn't get around to it" Fabrizio walked into the apartment, closed the door behind him and found his way into the kitchen. When he saw what Ermal had done with the flowers, he giggled.  
"Well, spit it out th..."  
"I love you" Fabrizio swiftly interrupted and walked over to Ermal, who, for the first time in his life, was speechless. At the end, all that came out was:  
"You... WHAT?!"


	7. Chapter 7

"I love you" Fabrizio swiftly interrupted and walked over to Ermal, who, for the first time in his life, was speechless. At the end, all that came out was:  
"You... WHAT?!"  
Since Fabri, of course, expected a warm response, Ermal's reaction honestly scared him. Moro's face immediately went pale, his lips trembled and he took a step back, trying to collect his thoughts in case all of this goes terribly wrong. _Did I just ruin everything?_ Fabrizio thought to himself and swiftly looked around. It wasn't because he might have been looking for something, it was just because, at this point, he desperately needed something, _anything_ to turn his attention to so that he wouldn't have to meet Ermal's gaze.  
"That was not even close to what I was expecting, honestly" after what seemed like a decade, Ermal finally murmured. He hadn't moved even a single centimeter. For a moment there, it occured to Fabrizio that he had never seen Ermal _that_ still before. It seems like he's always up to something. Ermal always talks with his hands, and if he can't move those, he'll kick around with his feet, and even if not that, he'd still find a way to do stuff. Just anything, really. He's just one of those people who could not for the life of them sit still.  
"I'm sorry... I thought... You'd... Never mind" finally Fabri sighed and stepped towards the door. All Fabrizio wanted to do right now was just leave. He probably had never before felt this embarrassed. Moro could barely keep his eyes opened, his unresting arms kept running around his body, from being tucked deep inside pockets, to being crossed on the chest. He couldn't find the bravery to look up at Ermal and try to guess what he was thinking.  
  
Which was a shame.  
Because if he had, Fabrizio would have quickly realized that Ermal is just cruelly teasing him. Ermal's soft smirk and clenched fists gave away his excitement. Of course, he felt the same way. And he had from the moment they first kissed. But it was just too much fun seeing Fabri blush like that - Ermal _just could not_ pass up an opportunity to torture him. But he had to make sure he wasn't going too far. So when Fabri moved and stepped towards the door, Ermal quickly crossed his path. He lifted up his arm, touched Moro's chin with the very tips of his fingers and slowly lifted his head up, finally catching Fabrizio's glance.  
"Sooooo... you love me" of course, he teased and giggled, while Fabrizio rolled his eyes. His pale face finally got some color back, but this time Fabri's cheeks just turned into a bright red shade, which Ermal really came to know and love. Moro wanted to say something, but every word he had thought of ended up stuck in the back of his throat. "What the hell took you so long..?" Ermal added finally releasing Fabrizio from his river of pain. Before Moro could say anything, Ermal snuck his fingers in Fabrizio's hair, latched on and pulled him closer. Even then, Meta managed to be a tease: at this point, he was so close to Fabri's lips, that he could _feel_ them shivering, and yet he still didn't go in for the kiss.  
  
That was the point when Fabrizio snapped. He grunted and without a single warning bit into Ermal's lips. Fabri's tongue quickly found its way inside his mouth, and Ermal didn't really even have a chance to object. Moments later, Moro was already pushing Ermal towards a wall. His back slammed against it surprisingly hard - the hit pushed all of the air out of Meta's lungs, and still, Fabri didn't stop. His lips slid lower, clasped onto thin, pale skin on Ermal's neck, and at that point, Fabrizio heard an actual moan bursting through. If anything, that turned him on even more. Fabri moved even closer, to the point where he barely had enough space to breathe, but he thought his was much better - now he could feel every single rapid beat of Ermal's heart, he could see his chest moving from every breath, each harder than the last. Fabri's hands ran through Ermal's curls, and his lips found their way upwards from the collarbone to the cheek, and finally to the earlobe.  
"Say it" he whispered "I need to hear you say it".  
"Oh, Fabri, come on..." Ermal whimpered, trying to turn his head, to catch Fabrizio's lips once again, to fall into an even more passionate kiss, but Moro wouldn't have it. Not yet.  
"No, say it" he added and gently planted a little kiss on Ermal's cheek.  
"Ehh...  Fuck me" he finally spit out, and, to his horror, Fabrizio froze.  
"What?" he leaned back and looked straight into Ermal's eyes. "Seriously? _That's_ what you're thinking about? I just wanted to hear you say you love me" Fabri laughed and Ermal just rolled his eyes.  
"Well, at this point, it's pretty much implied" he mumbled and stepped closer for one more kiss. Ermal felt that Fabrizio was holding back a little, so he finally found the courage to add:  
"I love you too. And I have from the first day I met you".  
  
Since this was all the confirmation Fabrizio needed, he gave into Ermal's request. Quite literally, actually. They didn't spend too much time against that wall, as Ermal was too eager to take things to the bedroom.  
It was the first night they spent together but surely many more were to come. Especially since they figured out what they should say to get each other in the mood. With Ermal, it was quite simple: Fabri only had to steal a couple of kisses, blush and be his usual cute self, but when it came to Fabrizio... It took everything Ermal had, for, in the end, neither of them could believe that this was actually happening. Love never came easy to Ermal, he had spent years hiding behind his humor, he didn't know how to express his emotions properly, but whenever he battered up enough courage to remind Fabri how he feels about him... that's when Moro knew that this was serious. And absolutely real. And that was all he needed. For many years to come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and suggestions are very welcome <3


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